Lesson 16 Vocab

Front 1

Aura

Back 1

Noun- a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source

"the monastery perched high on a mountaintop had an aura of unreality and mystery about it."

Front 2

Banal

Back 2

Adj- lacking originality, freshness

"The writing was banal but the story was good."

Front 3

Bemuse

Back 3

Verb- To confuse

"The directions were given so quickly that it bemused the driver."

"The stage mishap momentarily bemused the actress."

Front 4

Cognizant

Back 4

Adj- Fully aware

"Because she was bemused, Lara was not cognizant of the earthquake shaking the building."

Front 5

Conundrum

Back 5

Noun- Word/though puzzle; A difficult problem.

"The conundrum of how an ancient people were able to build such massive structures without the benefit of today's knowledge and technology"

"How Lucy could spend three months in turkey and not know a single word in Turkish was a conundrum."

Front 6

Evanescent

Back 6

Adj- Short-lived

(Temporary)

"Though their love seemed true it was evanescent, only a summers fling."

Front 7

Factotum

Back 7

Noun - a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities; a general servant

"My boss had just hired a factotum to do a variety of jobs."

"He was the office factotum."

Front 8

Grandiose

Back 8

Adj- Impressive because of large size or scope.

(Grand)

"The weather could not hamper out grandiose plans to travel through Paris."

Front 9

Induce

Back 9

Verb- To persuade or influence

"The doctor had to induce the woman's labor."

"The advertisement is meant to induce people to eat more fruit."

Front 10

Intransigent

Back 10

Adj- characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude

(Hardheaded)

"He has remained intransigent in his opposition to the proposal."

"Little will get accomplished if the legistators of both parties maintain their intransigent attitudes."

Front 11

Laudatory

Back 11

Adj- expressing praise

(Praiseful)

"Overwhelmed by the speaker's laudatory remarks."

"The play received mostly laudatory reviews."

Front 12

Panache

Back 12

Noun- Flashy in style or action.

"She played the role of hostess with great panache"

"The actor who would play Cyrano must have panache."

Front 13

Picayune

Back 13

Adj- of little value
(Petty)

"They argued over the most picayune details."

Noun- something trivial

"Our lives don't amount to a picayune in the great scheme of things."

Front 14

Predilection

Back 14

Noun- an established preference for something

(Affection, Tendency)

"A young lad with a predilection for telling tall tales"

"He has predilection for collecting stamps."

Front 15

Promontory

Back 15

Noun- A high point of land or rock projecting into a body of water. A prominent mass of land overlooking or projecting into a lowland.

"He stood on the windswept promontory overlooking the bay."

"Cape May is Delaware Bay's largest promontory."